Mermaid's Song
by Pilgrim
Summary: Ranma has found another cure for his curse! This one involves mermaids. Too bad no one told him about the side effects…. (Errors Corrected)


Ranma has found another cure for his curse!  This one involves mermaids.  Too bad no one told him about the side effects….

MERMAID'S SONG

By Pilgrim (stickney@scican.net) 

Based on situations and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi and used without permission.

*******

Akane Tendo flinched as another wave crashed into the rocks beside her.  Negotiating this treacherous shoreline scared the bejeezus out of her.  Not that she was actually worried about falling in – she was a martial artist after all.  It was just that if the unthinkable happened and she did fall in she'd go straight to the bottom like a lead weight.  Though she supposed Ranma would save her, as usual.  In fact, Ranma was most likely watching over her from hiding even now.  Still, that didn't make it any easier to face the terrifying prospect of drowning – again.  _Honestly…I hope Ranma appreciates what I have to go through to be with him._  She thought grimly.

The chill sea breeze caused the skirt of her school uniform to flutter around her legs as Akane carefully picked her way around the headland.  Much as she hated to cut school, she really didn't have much choice.  Her goal, a small, secluded cove, was accessible only at low tide, which meant that Akane had to come when the tide was right, school or not.  It also meant that her time here was limited, and risky.  Still, it was worth a little risk, to see Ranma again - even if she'd still rather be boiled in oil than say that to him directly.  Though why she remained so hung up on the idiot was beyond her.  Just look at what he'd gotten himself into now.

Despite her dark thoughts, her spirits lifted a little as she spied a familiar redhead sitting on a rock, idly whipping small pebbles far out to sea.  There could be no mistaking that impossibly orange hair.  Still, she paused and looked around carefully before approaching.  They chose this meeting site precisely for its inaccessibility, but _difficult_ did not necessarily mean _impossible_.  People were hunting Ranma now – greedy, selfish, and ruthless people, lured by the false promise of immortality.  If Akane could make it here, so could others, and she was determined not to be the person who led them to Ranma.  But no one was readily apparent, so Akane felt it was safe to approach.

Ranma nodded without speaking as Akane sat down beside her.  They sat together in silence for a while, looking out to sea.  

"So, uh, Ranma, How's it going?"  Akane asked finally.

"It's going…"  Ranma responded quietly.  "…just going."

"I see."  Akane responded, wincing at the inanity of it.  "You, uh, look well."  She continued, carefully keeping her eyes above the other's waist.

"Yeah, right." Ranma scoffed, and she winced again.  Ranma noticed her discomfort and gave her a weak smile.  "Thanks for trying, anyway."

Akane took a deep breath.  "Uh… what happened to your pigtail?"

Ranma looked relieved at the change of subject.  "I had to give up on it.  It's not very practical these days."

Akane kept her face neutral even as she cringed inwardly.  _Oh gods.  I hope she…he… isn't losing himself_.   Aloud she said:  "That's too bad.  I know how fond you were of it."

Ranma gave Akane her best imitation of his 'Ranma Saotome doesn't lose smile.'  It wasn't very convincing.  "S'okay.  I'll re-braid it as soon as I've beaten this."  She said, slapping what had once been a normal, human thigh.

"Yeah."  Akane sounded as unconvinced as he looked.

Ranma tossed another pebble out to sea.  "On the bright side, I guess this solves the fiancée mess.  It's not like I can marry any of you now."

Akane grit her teeth.  _That's right.  Remind of those bimbos, why don't you.  _She nodded anyway.  "Actually, knowing them, I'm surprised that they all gave up.  Even over this."

"Heh."  Ranma muttered.  "Well, you gotta remember that Shampoo is just a Bayankala mountains peasant girl.  Heck, her people still worship Mt. Qanjing as a god.  She puts up a good front, but she's about as superstitious as they come."

Akane nodded.  "But what about Ukyo?  Wasn't she your oldest friend?"

Ranma grimaced.  "Yeah, well, what do you expect?" She made a sweeping gesture indicating the…monstrosities that had once been a pair of shapely legs.  "It's not like I could fulfill a 'husband's duties and obligations' like this."

"Yeah."  Akane murmured wistfully, before she caught herself.  "I mean, uh... yes, you're right.  Not that I'd care."  Ranma's only response was a raised eyebrow that made her flush in embarrassment.  "Um…at least Kodachi's finally getting professional help now."

"Sure," Ranma responded sourly, "now that I've finally driven her over the edge."

"Damn it Ranma!"  Akane growled at the redhead, peeved and frightened by her defeatist attitude.  "She's been dancing on that edge for a long time."

"Akane…"  Ranma began, but it was too late.  Akane had always relied on her anger to cover her fear and uncertainty, and this time would me no different.

"Ranma, you idiot!"  Akane exploded, dropping head into her hands.  "What the hell were you thinking?"

"She said it was a cure for my curse!"  Ranma yelled back. 

"Some cure!"  Akane shot back, poking her finger into one Ranma's conspicuous 'assets'.  "You still look like a girl to me!"

"Hey, stop that!" Ranma squealed, crossing her arms to protect herself.  She might have done more if she hadn't seen the incipient tears standing in Akane's eyes.

"How could you be so stupid?"  Akane continued angrily.  "Anyone over the age of twelve has to know how dangerous mermaids can be!  It's in all the folklore! You're lucky you didn't become one of the lost souls!"

"Hey!  My Pop wasn't much for bedtime stories, OK?"  Ranma replied heatedly.  "Damn it, if you're so mad at me, why don't you just give up on me too?"

"Because I can't DO that!"  Akane yelled back at him

"Why NOT?"

"BECAUSE I…I…" Akane wound down, face flushed.

"Because you what?"  Ranma asked into the resulting silence.

"Because I, I…I'd kind of miss having you around."  Akane muttered, averting her gaze.

"Oh." Ranma responded, and just a shadow of hope showed in her voice for the first time.

"Ranma…"  Akane instinctively moved to put a comforting hand on the other girl's knee, only to freeze at what she felt there.

Ranma took one look at Akane's overly neutral expression.  "See, I disgust even you."

Akane slowly withdrew her hand and surreptitiously wiped it on her skirt.  "Come back to us Ranma, please?"   She put on a strained smile.  "I mean, it's not like it's your arm or something we can't hide.  We could always put you in a wheelchair; cover you with a blanket…"

"Yeah, and sell me to a circus, maybe."  The redhead interrupted.  'See the notorious Ranma:  Half boy, half girl, half monster, all freak.'"

Akane looked guilty.  "I'm sure Nabiki didn't really mean that.  She was just joking, you know?  Trying to lighten things up?"  Ranma just looked at her, and she subsided.  "Well…maybe not." 

Ranma finally broke the uncomfortable silence.  "How's the rest of the family takin' it?"

Akane shrugged.  "Well, your father's just as clueless as ever.  Acting unconcerned, just like he always does when you're in a duel.  I honestly don't think he's smart enough to worry about you.  Kasumi's dealing with it by not dealing with it, the way she always does."  She shrugged again, scuffing her feet in the wet pebbles surrounding them.

"What about your dad?"  Ranma asked.  Akane just looked at him.  "Never mind."

Suddenly, the two of them jumped as they heard someone calling in the distance.  "Hey you!  Come outta dere, girl!  I know you hidin' somewhere's bout here!"  Ranma winced at the familiar, but hated bass voice with its heavy island accent. _ Damn it, why does it have to be him?_  "You ain't s'posed to be skippin' school!  I been trackin' you!"

Akane stood hastily.  "I better get going, the tide's about to turn, anyway."  She brushed off her hands and turned to go.  "Can I see you here again next week?"

"Yeah, I'll be here."  Ranma muttered.  "After all, where else can I go?"

Akane turned back and took both of Ranma's hands in hers, ignoring how cold and clammy they felt.  "Don't give up, Ranma.  We'll find a way to beat this one too."  _I hope._

Ranma's answering smile was almost her normal cocky grin.  "Yeah.  We'll beat this…"  She was interrupted by the accented voice calling after the 'girl' again, promising all sorts of bizarre retribution.  He sounded much closer this time.  "You better get going.  You know you don't want to be seen with me."

Akane nodded, and turned to go.  Ranma watched her retreating back until she was out of sight, then sighed and returned to her contemplation of the waves.  She had two, maybe five more minutes before that tropical-brained idiot found this place and she'd have to leave…

…Or maybe not.  Ranma frowned as a brilliant red creature poked up out of the water, beckoning with his pincers.  "Ah hah!  Dere you are, Princess!  What are you doin' up here?  You s'posed to be at da palace, practicin' for da big Neptune Ball!"

Ranma sighed and slipped into the water, her red tresses streaming behind her as she dove after the ridiculous creature with a flick of her powerful tail.  There just had to be a way out of this!  But until she found it, she was stuck.  That didn't mean she had to like it…

_…Man, if that stupid crab starts singing "Under the Sea" again, I swear I'll kill him._

******

Author's note:

You were thinking of another mermaid saga, perhaps?


End file.
